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28 July - WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2017

28 July, 2017

Let’s eliminate hepatitis together!

According to the WHO Global hepatitis report, viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015, a number comparable to tuberculosis and higher than HIV. While mortality caused by tuberculosis and HIV is declining, the number of deaths due to viral hepatitis is increasing.

In May 2016, 194 governments adopted the first Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis: “Towards ending viral hepatitis, 2016-2020”. Its aim is to eliminate viral hepatitis – with a special focus on hepatitis B and C - as a major public health threat by 2030, reducing new infections by 90% and mortality by 65%.

The theme of the World Hepatitis Day 2017 campaign is to accelerate progress towards achieving this elimination of hepatitis.

Greater access to testing and treatment

In 2015, only 9% of HBV-infected people and 20% of HCV-infected people were diagnosed. 325 million people live with viral hepatitis. Yet less than 1% have access to treatment.

bioMérieux supports the goal of bridging the gap in testing and treatment. Most hepatitis-related deaths are attributable to hepatitis B and C viruses, but fulminant forms of hepatitis E can also prove fatal. According to the WHO, an effective response to the hepatitis challenge requires tailored interventions for each of the viruses. This is why we have developed two new automated hepatitis E assays that will soon complete our solution for routine and confirmation testing of hepatitis A, B and C.